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<h1>When did it all happen?</h1>

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<center><span class="summary">Outline</span></center>
<ol>
<li><a href="#part1">Expressing time-specific actions</a></li>
<li><a href="#part2">Saying an action was just completed using 「～ばかり」</a></li>
<li><a href="#part3">Using 「とたん」 to say something happened right after something else</a></li>
<li><a href="#part4">Using 「<span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span>」 for two concurrent actions</a></li>
<li><a href="#part5">Using 「<span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span>」 with state of being to mean "while"</a></li>
<li><a href="#part6">To repeat something with reckless abandon using 「まくる」</a></li>
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<h2 id="part1">Expressing time-specific actions</h2>
In this lesson, we will go over various ways to express actions that take place in a certain time-frame.  In particular, we will learn how to say:
1) an action has just been completed, 2) an action is taken immediately after another action took place, 3) an action occurs while another action is
ongoing, and 4) one continuously repeats an action.

<h2 id="part2">Expressing an action that was just completed using 「～ばかり」</h2>
This is a very useful grammar that is used to indicate that one has just finished doing something.  For instance, the first time I really wished I
knew how to say something like this was when I wanted to politely decline an invitation to eat because I had just eaten.  To do this,
take the past tense of verb that you want to indicate as just being completed and add 「ばかり」. This is used with only the past tense of
verbs and is not to be confused with the 「ばかり」 used with nouns to express <a href="amount.html#part5">amounts</a>.


<p>Just like the other type of 「ばかり」 we have covered before, in slang, you can hear people use 「ばっか」 instead of 「ばかり」.
</p>

<div class="sumbox">
<span class="summary">Using 「ばかり」 for actions just completed</span>
<ul>
<li>To indicate that an action has ended just recently, take the past tense of the verb and add 「ばかり」.
<br />例）　<span title="たべる - to eat" class="popup">食べ<em><strike>る</strike></em></span> → <span title="たべる - to eat" class="popup">食べ<em>た</em></span> → <span title="たべる - to eat" class="popup">食べた<em>ばかり</em></span></li>
<li>For casual speech, you can abbreviate 「ばかり」 to just 「ばっか」
<br />例）　<span title="たべる - to eat" class="popup">食べた</span><em><strike>ばかり</strike></em> →　<span title="たべる - to eat" class="popup">食べた</span><em>ばっか</em></li>
</ul>
<center>
<table border="1" cellpadding="5">
<caption>You can treat the result as you would with any noun.</caption>
<tr align="center"><th colspan="2">Positive</th><th colspan="2">Negative</th></tr>

<tr align="center"><td><span title="たべる - to eat" class="popup">食べた</span>ばかり（だ）</td><td>Just ate</td><td><span title="たべる - to eat" class="popup">食べた</span>ばかりじゃない</td><td>Didn't just eat</td></tr>

</table>
</center>

</div>

<h3>Examples</h3>
<p>
（１）　<span title="すみません - sorry" class="popup">すみません</span>、<span title="いま - now" class="popup">今</span><em><span title="たべる - to eat" class="popup">食べた</span>ばかり</em>なので、<span title="おなか - stomach" class="popup">お腹</span>が<span title="いっぱい - full" class="popup">いっぱい</span>です。
<br />- Sorry, but I'm full having just eaten.
</p>

<p>
（２）　<span title="じゅっきろ - 10 kilos" class="popup">10キロ</span>を<em><span title="はしる - run" class="popup">走った</span>ばかり</em>で、<span title="すごい - amazing; to a great extent" class="popup">凄く</span><span title="つかれる - to get tired" class="popup">疲れた</span>。
<br />- I just ran 10 kilometers and am really tired.
</p>

<p>
（３）　<span title="いま - now" class="popup">今</span>、<span title="いえ - house; うち - home" class="popup">家</span>に<em><span title="かえる - to go home" class="popup">帰った</span>ばかり</em>です。
<br />- I got back home just now.
</p>

<p>Here are some examples of the abbreviated version.
</p>

<p>
（１）　<span title="あさごはん - breakfast" class="popup">昼ご飯</span>を<span title="たべる - to eat" class="popup">食べた</span><em>ばっか</em>なのに、<span title="もう - already" class="popup">もう</span><span title="おなか - stomach" class="popup">お腹</span>が<span title="すく - to become empty" class="popup">空いた</span>。
<br />- Despite the fact that I just ate lunch, I'm hungry already.
</p>

<p>
（２）　<span title="まさか - you can't mean..." class="popup">まさか</span>、<span title="いま - now" class="popup">今</span><span title="おきる - to get up; to occur" class="popup">起きた</span><em>ばっか</em>なの？
<br />- No way, did you wake up just now?
</p>

<h2 id="part3">Using 「とたん」 to express something that occurred immediately after an action</h2>
Kind of as a supplement to 「ばかり」, we will cover one way to say something happened as soon as something else occurs.
To use this grammar, add 「とたん」 to the past tense of the first action that happened. It is also common to add the 「に」 target particle to
indicate that specific point in time.

<div class="sumbox">
<span class="summary">Using 「とたん」 to indicate one thing happened right after another</span>
<ul class="plain">
<li>Change the verb that happened first to the <a href="pastverb.html#part1"><i>past tense</i></a>
and attach 「とたん」 or 「とたんに」.</li>
<li>例）　<span title="あける - to open" class="popup">開け<em>る</em></span> → <span title="あける - to open" class="popup">開け<em>た</em></span> → <span title="あける - to open" class="popup">開けた</span><em>とたん（に）</em></li>
<li>例）　<span title="とる - to take" class="popup">取<em>る</em></span> → <span title="とる - to take" class="popup">取<em>った</em></span> → <span title="とる - to take" class="popup">取った<em>とたん（に）</em></span></li>
<li><br />※Note: You can only use this grammar for things that happen outside your control.</li>
</ul>
</div>

<h3>Examples</h3>
（１）　<span title="まど - window" class="popup">窓</span>を<em><span title="あける - to open" class="popup">開けた</span>とたんに</em>、<span title="ねこ - cat" class="popup">猫</span>が<span title="とぶ - to jump" class="popup">跳んで</span><span title="いく - to go" class="popup">いった</span>。
<br />- As soon as I opened window, cat jumped out.
<br />
<br />For many more examples, check these <a href="http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/jwb/wwwjdic?1Q%C5%D3%C3%BC_1_">examples sentences</a>
from our old trusty WWWJDIC.

<p>An important thing to realize is that you can only use this grammar for things that occur immediately after something else
and not for an action that you, yourself carry out. For instance, compare the following two sentences.
<br />
<br />（誤）　<span title="えいが - movie" class="popup">映画</span>を<span title="みる - to watch" class="popup">観た</span>とたんに、<em><strike><span title="トイレ - toilet; bathroom" class="popup">トイレ</span>に<span title="いく - to go" class="popup">行きました</span></strike></em>。
<br />- (You carried out the action of going to the bathroom so this is not correct.)
<br />
<br />（正）　<span title="えいが - movie" class="popup">映画</span>を<span title="みる - to watch" class="popup">観た</span>とたんに、<em><span title="ねむい - sleepy" class="popup">眠く</span><span title="なる - to become" class="popup">なりました</span></em>。
<br />- (Since becoming sleepy is something that happened outside your control, this sentence is ok.)
</p>


<h2 id="part4">Using 「<span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span>」 for two concurrent actions</h2>
You can use 「<span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span>」 to express that one action is taking place in conjunction with another action.  To use 「<span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span>」, you must change the
first verb to the stem and append 「<span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span>」. Though probably rare, you can also attach 「<span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span>」 to the negative of the verb for express the
negative. This grammar has no tense since it is determined by the second verb.

<div class="sumbox">
<span class="summary">Using 「<span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span>」 for concurrent actions</span>
<ul class="plain">
<li>Change the first verb to the <a href="polite.html#part2"><i>stem</i></a> and append 「<span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span>」</li>
<li>例）　<span title="はしる - run" class="popup">走<em>る</em></span> → <span title="はしる - run" class="popup">走<em>り</em></span> → <span title="はしる - run" class="popup">走り</span><em><span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span></em></li>
<li>For the negative, simply attach 「<span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span>」to the negative tense</li>
<li>例）　<span title="はしる - run" class="popup">走<em>る</em></span> → <span title="はしる - run" class="popup">走<em>らない</em></span> → <span title="はしる - run" class="popup">走らない</span><em><span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span></em></li>
</ul>
</div>

<h3>Examples</h3>
（１）　<span title="テレビ - television" class="popup">テレビ</span>を<em><span title="みる - to watch" class="popup">観</span><span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span></em>、<span title="しゅくだい - homework" class="popup">宿題</span>を<span title="する - to do" class="popup">する</span>。
<br />- Do homework while watching TV.
<br />
<br />（２）　<span title="おんがく - music" class="popup">音楽</span>を<em><span title="きく - to listen" class="popup">聴き</span><span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span></em>、<span title="だいがく - college" class="popup">学校</span>へ<span title="あるく - to walk" class="popup">歩く</span>のが<span title="すき - like" class="popup">好き</span>。
<br />- Like to walk to school while listening to music.
<br />
<br />（３）　<span title="あいて - other party" class="popup">相手</span>に<span title="なにも - nothing" class="popup">何も</span><em><span title="いう - to say" class="popup">言わない</span><span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span></em>、<span title="じぶん - oneself" class="popup">自分</span>の<span title="きもち - feeling" class="popup">気持ち</span>を<span title="わかる - to understand" class="popup">わかって</span>ほしいのは<span title="たんなる - simply" class="popup">単なる</span><span title="わがまま - selfish" class="popup">わがままだ</span>と<span title="おもう - to think" class="popup">思わない</span>？
<br />- Don't you think that wanting the other person to understand one's feelings while not saying anything is just simply selfishness?

<p>Notice that the sentence ends with the main verb just like it always does.  This means that the main action of the sentence is the verb
that ends the clause.
The 「<span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span>」 simply describes another action that is also taking place.  For example, if we switched the verbs in （１） to say, 「宿題をし<span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span>、
<span title="テレビ - television" class="popup">テレビ</span>を<span title="みる - to watch" class="popup">観る</span>。」, this changes the sentence to say, "Watch TV while doing homework."  In other words, the main action, in this case, becomes
watching TV and the action of doing homework is describing an action that is taking place at the same time.
</p>

<p>The tense is controlled by the main verb so the verb used with 「<span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span>」 cannot have a tense.
</p>
<p>
（１）　<span title="ポップコーン - popcorn" class="popup">ポップコーン</span>を<span title="たべる - to eat" class="popup">食べ</span><span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span>、<span title="えいが - movie" class="popup">映画</span>を<em><span title="みる - to watch" class="popup">観る</span></em>。- <em>Watch</em> movie while eating popcorn.
</p>
<p>
（２）　<span title="ポップコーン - popcorn" class="popup">ポップコーン</span>を<span title="たべる - to eat" class="popup">食べ</span><span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span>、<span title="えいが - movie" class="popup">映画</span>を<em><span title="みる - to watch" class="popup">観た</span></em>。- <em>Watched</em> movie while eating popcorn.
</p>
<p>
（３）　<span title="くちぶえ - whistle" class="popup">口笛</span>を<span title="する - to do" class="popup">し</span><span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span>、<span title="てがみ - letter" class="popup">手紙</span>を<em><span title="かく - to write" class="popup">書いて</span>いた</em>。- <em>Was writing</em> letter while whistling.
</p>


<h2 id="part5">Using 「<span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span>」 with state of being to mean "while"</h2>
A more advanced use of 「<span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span>」 is to use it with the implied state of being. In other words, you can use it with nouns or adjectives to talk about
what something is while something else. The implied state of being means that you must not use the declarative 「だ」, you just attach 「<span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span>」 to the
noun or adjective.  For example, a common way this grammar is used is to say, "While it's unfortunate, something something..."
In Japanese, this would become 「<span title="ざんねん - unfortunate" class="popup">残念</span><em><span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span></em>・・・」

<p>
	You can also attach the inclusive 「も」 particle to 「<span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span>」 to get 「<span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span>も」. This changes the meaning from "while" to "<u>even</u> while".
</p>


<div class="sumbox">
<span class="summary">Using 「<span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span>」 with state of being to mean "while" or 「<span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span>も」 to mean "even while"</span>
<ul class="plain">
<li>To say [X] is something while something else, attach 「<span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span>」 to [X]</li>
<li>例）　<span title="ざんねん - unfortunate" class="popup">残念</span> → <span title="ざんねん - unfortunate" class="popup">残念</span><em><span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span></em></li>
<li>To say [X] is something even while something else, attach 「<span title="ながらも - even while" class="popup">ながらも</span>」 to [X]</li>
<li>例）　<span title="びんぼう - poor" class="popup">貧乏</span> → <span title="びんぼう - poor" class="popup">貧乏</span><em><span title="ながらも - even while" class="popup">ながらも</span></em></li>
</ul>
</div>

<h3>Examples</h3>

（１）　<span title="しごと - work" class="popup">仕事</span>が<span title="いっぱい - a lot; full" class="popup">いっぱい</span><span title="はいる - to enter" class="popup">入って</span>、<span title="ざんねん - unfortunate" class="popup">残念</span><em><span title="ながら - while" class="popup">ながら</span></em>、<span title="きょう - today" class="popup">今日</span>は<span title="いく - to go" class="popup">行けなく</span><span title="なる - to become" class="popup">なりました</span>。
<br />- While it's unfortunate, a lot of work came in and it became so that I can't go today.
<br />
<br />（２）　<span title="びんぼう - poor" class="popup">貧乏</span><em><span title="ながらも - even while" class="popup">ながらも</span></em>、<span title="こうきゅう - high-quality" class="popup">高級</span>な<span title="バッグ - bag" class="popup">バッグ</span>を<span title="かう - to buy" class="popup">買っちゃった</span>よ。
<br />- Even while I'm poor, I ended up buying a high quality bag.
<br />
<br />（３）　<span title="かれ - he; boyfriend" class="popup">彼</span>は、<span title="しょしんしゃ - beginner" class="popup">初心者</span><em><span title="ながらも - even while" class="popup">ながらも</span></em>、<span title="じつりょく - actual ability" class="popup">実力</span>は<span title="プロ - pro (professional)" class="popup">プロ</span>と<span title="おなじ - same" class="popup">同じ</span>だ。
<br />- Even while he is a beginner, his actual skills are the same as a pro.

<h2 id="part6">To repeat something with reckless abandon using 「まくる」</h2>
The WWWJDIC very succinctly defines the definition of this verb as a "verb suffix to indicate reckless abandon to the activity". Unfortunately, it doesn't
go on to tell you exactly how it's actually used. Actually, there's not much to explain. You take the stem of the verb and simply attach 「まくる」. However,
since this is a continuing activity, it is an <a href="enduring.html#part2"><i>enduring state</i></a> unless you're going to do it in the future.
This is a very casual expression.

<div class="sumbox">
<span class="summary">Using 「まくる」 for frequent actions</span>
<ul class="plain">
<li>Change the first verb to the <a href="polite.html#part2"><i>stem</i></a> and append 「まくっている」.</li>
<li>例）　<span title="やる - to do" class="popup">や<em>る</em></span> → <span title="やる - to do" class="popup">や<em>り</em></span> → <span title="やる - to do" class="popup">やり</span><em>まくっている</em></li>
</ul>

<center>
<table border="1" cellpadding="5">
<caption>You can use all the normal conjugations you would expect with any other verb.</caption>

<tr align="center"><th></th><th colspan="2">Positive</th><th colspan="2">Negative</th></tr>

<tr align="center"><th>Non-Past</th><td><span title="やる - to do" class="popup">やり</span>まくっている</td><td>Doing all the time</td><td><span title="やる - to do" class="popup">やり</span>まくっていない</td><td>Don't do all the time</td></tr>

<tr align="center"><th>Past</th><td><span title="やる - to do" class="popup">やり</span>まくっていた</td><td>Did all the time</td><td><span title="やる - to do" class="popup">やり</span>まくっていなかった</td><td>Didn't do all the time</td></tr>
</table>
</center>
</div>

<h3>Examples</h3>
（１）　<span title="ゲーム - game" class="popup">ゲーム</span>に<span title="はまる - to get hooked" class="popup">はまっちゃって</span>、<span title="さいきん - lately" class="popup">最近</span><span title="パソコン - computer" class="popup">パソコン</span>を<em><span title="つかう - to use" class="popup">使い</span>まくっている</em>よ。
<br />- Having gotten hooked by games, I do nothing but use the computer lately.
<br />
<br />（２）　<span title="アメリカ - America" class="popup">アメリカ</span>に<span title="いる - to exist (animate)" class="popup">いた</span><span title="とき - time" class="popup">時</span>は<span title="コーラ - cola" class="popup">コーラ</span>を<em><span title="のむ - to drink" class="popup">飲み</span>まくっていた</em>。
<br />- When I was in the US, I drank coke like all the time.

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<div class="small" style="text-align:right;"><pre>This page has last been revised on 2004/12/18</pre></div>

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